As COPE 378 and its energy campaign partners descended on Penticton for this year's Union of BC Municipalities convention, Wilderness Committee Campaign Director Joe Foy had the idea to stir up the otherwise staid event with a bit of a protest.

The UBCM, which is usually a slow moving convention of resolutions and workshops, had a number of resolutions this year surrounding public power that were submitted by municipalities across BC. As the convention proceedings got underway, though, Foy and the COPE 378 delegates decided that maybe they should shake things up a bit an push the issue to the forefront.

The COPE 378 Executive Council today endorsed Jack Layton and the NDP in the current federal election.

The resolution, moved by Political Action Committee Co-Chair Jeff Gillies, was adopted unanimously by the Council.

NDP MPs  Peter Julian and Dawn Black, and Fleetwood-Port Kells candidate Nao Fernando were in attendance at the meeting and spoke to Councillors about the issues this election and the need to elect a strong slate of NDP MPs and work to make Jack Layton the next Prime Minister of Canada.

Many COPE 378 members and staff are active volunteers on campaigns across BC, and the three candidates all stressed the importance of getting involved and helping get more NDP elected.

The following letter was sent to all COPE 378 members  at Accenture from President Andy Ross.

Dear members,

Today, we have had some very good news from Accenture and BC Hydro, news that is a precursor of, what we hope, are much more broad and sweeping positive changes to come. 

The BC Government and BC Hydro have finally begun to realize the mistake that they made in selling off one third of BC Hydro to Accenture. These crucial operations were sold off to an outsourcing firm that is known throughout the world for its race to the bottom in terms of how it treats their employees, and how it manages its operations.

As all COPE 378 members no doubt know already, a federal election has been called and Canadians will be heading to the polls.

Voting Day has been set for Tuesday October 14.

COPE 378 members will be active throughout this campaign working to make sure that we get people elected who represent the values and needs of progressive working people.

But as with any election, we need your help to do this.

Elections are volunteer-driven, and the only way to get progressive people elected is for COPE 378 members like you and your families to help out on campaigns.

There are a number of ways that you can help do this.

The COPE 378 Bargaining Committee for National Car Rental is pleased to announce that the tentative agreement with National  was ratified by the membership at a vote held on September 4, 2008.
The bargaining committee wishes to thank the members for their support and for taking the opportunity to vote on the new agreement..  Final copies of the full new collective agreement will be sent out to the membership in the coming weeks.

I want to take the opportunity to wish you a happy labour day.

While labour day traditionally marks the end of summer, it also provides an opportunity to reflect upon labour's historic and ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life of everyone in our communities.

Every year, this first Monday in September is set aside as a statutory holiday to give all workers one last day off to spend as they choose before the summer draws to a close, before the schools, colleges and universities re-open, before the streets and transit get clogged once again with commuters, and before the onset of fall and winter.

The COPE 378 bargaining committee for members at National Car Rental has reached a tentative agreement with the employer.

The 5-year agreement contains a number of highlights and gains, including:

• Pay raises of 3% per year for the first three years, 3.75% in year 4 and 4% in year 5
• Pay raise will be retroactive to August 1
• Orthodontic plan
• 100% employer-paid medical coverage
• 100% employer-paid dental coverage
• Improvements to part-time seniority language

The bargaining committee is pleased to have reached this agreement, and is recommending acceptance by the membership.

Members will be sent full details on the agreement and the ratification process shortly.

The COPE 378 bargaining committee for National Car Rental have met and exchanged proposals.

This morning the bargaining committee met with provicnail labour mediator Vince Ready, with  National also at the table.

This process will continue as COPE 378 and the bargaining committee seek to reach an agreement that is beneficial to members.

Please check back to the website regularly for updates.

On Labour Day, Monday, September 1, the BC Federation of Labour and its affiliates will be holding a rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
The intent of the rally is to send a message to Gordon Campbell and the Liberal Government on key issues such as the need to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour and to kill the obscene pay raises given to senior political bureaucrats.
We want to have as many COPE 378 members as possible there to help make this message loud and clear.
Executive Board member Tamara Kamachi will be coordinating COPE 378’s delegation to the rally. If you are able to attend, please contact Tamara for details at tkamachi@cope378.ca.

Carole James and the BC NDP are asking for our support for their campaign to make We need to make sure that the 250,000 British Columbians earning less than $10 an hour get a raise. They've waited 7 years, and we don't want them to wait any longer.

Carole and the NDP are launching the next phase of the campaign, a campaign to raise the minimum wage.

In doing so, they are asking all British Columbians to give just $10 in the first 10 days of September.

They call it Ten in Ten.

That money will be used to put even more pressure on Gordon Campbell this fall - through on line activities, special campaigns and media plans.